


The Secret Son

by Northern_Lady



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abuse, Extramarital Affairs, Father-Son Relationship, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 21:53:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13726722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Northern_Lady/pseuds/Northern_Lady
Summary: Narcissa Malfoy confesses that she erased one of Severus' memories.





	The Secret Son

There had not been an official meeting of the Death Eaters in years but from time to time the original members did still gather together for social events. Once again Severus Snape found himself at an informal dinner at the Malfoy house. He did not enjoy such meetings all that much. Narcissa was pleasant enough, Lucious was polite, and their son Draco was alright he supposed, as much as a child of six can be. Even so, the Malfoys would support the return of the Dark Lord given the chance and as such he did not trust them. 

The evening went pleasantly as could be expected. The hour grew late and Severus took his leave of the Malfoys. Lucius and Narcissa walked with him to the fireplace where he would return Hogwarts by floo powder. Lucius was about to bid Snape farewell and a voice from the hallway stopped him. 

“Father, will you read me a story tonight?” Draco asked in a small voice. 

Lucius looked annoyed. “Can’t you see I’m attending to our guest. Go to bed Draco.” he said rather harshly. 

“Yes father,” the boy said sadly, and wandered away. 

Narcissa put her hand on Lucius arm. “I will see Severus out if you would like to read to our son.” she said kindly. 

Lucius didn’t look like he would like to do any such thing. “Fine,” he said. “Good night Severus.” 

Once her husband was gone Narcissa turned to Severus. “Before you go, there is something I must tell you.” 

Severus could tell this was important, perhaps even urgent. “What is it?” 

“I did something terrible long ago. I took a memory from you. I think it’s time you have it back.” she passed him a vial, a vial he knew was meant for the pensive.

“What is this?” 

She shook her head, clearly unwilling to tell him whatever the memory was she had taken. “Lucius can not know. Not ever. Promise me.” 

“Of course,” he promised rather willingly. Any fool could see that Lucius was capable of being cruel to his own family. He wished Narcissa no harm. 

“And Severus, when Draco comes to school, look out for him. You’ll know why.” 

The first thing Severus did on returning to Hogwarts was take the vial straight to the pensive. What he found there was entirely unexpected. 

It was a memory of himself at Malfoy Manor some seven years earlier. The Death Eaters were actively planning and carrying out a war and he had been staying at the manor for more than a week. It had been the middle of the night when a knock on his door awakened him from a fitful sleep. 

“Narcissa?” Severus found the woman standing in his doorway. She had tears on her face and a bruise around her left eye. 

“Lucius hit me. He struck me with his own hand like a muggle might do.” she had sobbed. 

“Come in,” Severus had stepped aside from the doorway and let her in. He had no more than closed the door behind them when she reached for him and hugged him. 

He had never had a woman hug him like this but he made no protests about it. He put his arms around her and held her while she wept for a long while. When she had finally calmed herself she looked up at him and to his surprise, she kissed him. 

A few hours later she dressed and left his bed never to return. As a farewell, she took from him his entire memory of the incident. 

Severus left the pensive behind and returned to his room, unable to stop thinking about the little boy in Malfoy manor who only wanted his father to read him a story.


End file.
